China rules out hosting the Cop33 climate summit in 2028
China has decided not to bid to host the Cop33 UN climate summit in 2028, ending months of deliberation and leaving other Asian countries to compete for the role. The decision is a disappointment to climate experts and some international figures who had hoped the world’s largest emitter would use the summit to demonstrate global leadership, particularly as the US under Donald Trump has withdrawn from international climate cooperation. Al Gore called the decision “too bad,” while John Kerry said China was moving ahead of other countries in developing and deploying low-carbon technologies.
The choice is notable because China’s energy system is undergoing a major transformation. Its renewable power-generation capacity has surpassed coal, greenhouse gas emissions appear to have declined slightly this year, and electric vehicles accounted for nearly two-thirds of domestic sales last month. Clean-energy industries also generated more than 90% of China’s investment growth last year. Hosting Cop33 could have strengthened China’s influence among developing countries and highlighted these changes.
The 2028 summit is scheduled for 6–17 November, coinciding with the US presidential election on 7 November, which experts believe may have influenced Beijing’s decision. Cop33 will include the Paris agreement’s global stocktake, assessing progress towards limiting warming to 1.5C, a threshold now expected to be exceeded. India has also declined to host, while Uzbekistan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand are among the countries considering bids. No host is expected to be chosen at Cop31 in Turkey.
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